“I should be glad to think so. It can easily be settled. Let Conrad
go with me tomorrow to the pawnbroker from whom I recovered the glass,
and see if he recognizes him.”

“He would be sure to say it was me,” stammered Conrad.

“At any rate he told me it was not Ben, who made no opposition to
accompanying me.”

“I see there is a plot against my poor boy,” said Mrs. Hill bitterly.

“On the contrary, I shall be glad to believe him innocent. But there
is another matter that requires investigation. Conrad, here is a
letter which has come for you. Are you willing I should open and read
it?”

“I don’t like to show my letters,” said Conrad sullenly.

“The boy is right,” said his mother, always ready to back up her son.

“I have good reason for wishing to know the contents of the letter,"
said Mrs. Hamilton sternly. “I will not open it, unless Conrad
consents, but I will call on the brokers and question them as to their
motive in addressing it to a boy.”

Conrad was silent. He saw that there was no escape for him.

“Shall I read it?” asked Mrs. Hamilton.

“Yes,” answered Conrad feebly.

The letter was opened.

It ran thus:

“Mr. Conrad Hill:

“You will be kind enough to call at our office at once, and pay
commission due us for buying add selling fifty shares Pacific Mail.
The fall in the price of the stock, as we have already notified you,
exhausted the money you placed in our hands as margin.

“Yours respectfully,"
“BIRD & BRANT.”

“I hope, Cousin Hamilton, you won’t be too hard on the poor boy,” said
the housekeeper. “He thought he would be able to replace the money.”

“You and Conrad have done your best to prejudice me against Ben.”

“You are mistaken,” said the housekeeper quickly, showing some
evidence of agitation.

“I have learned that the letter which lured Ben to a gambling house
was concocted between you. The letter I have in my possession.”

“Who told you such a falsehood? If it is Ben–”

“It is not Ben, Mrs. Hill. He is as much surprised as you are to
learn it now. The letter I submitted to an expert, who has positively
identified the handwriting as yours, Mrs. Hill. You were very
persistent in your attempts to make me believe than Ben was addicted
to frequenting gambling houses.”

“I see you are determined to believe me guilty,” said Mrs. Hill.
“Perhaps you think I know about the opera glass and this stock
gambling?”

“I have no evidence of it, but I know enough to justify me in taking a
decisive step.”

Mrs. Hill listened apprehensively.

“It is this: you and Conrad must leave my house. I can no longer
tolerate your presence here.”

“You send us out to starve?” said the housekeeper bitterly.

“No; I will provide for you. I will allow you fifty dollars a month
and Conrad half as much, and you can board where you please.”

“While that boy usurps our place?” said Mrs. Hill bitterly.

“That is a matter to be decided between Ben and myself.”

“We will go at once,” said the housekeeper.

“I don’t require it. You can stay here until you have secured a
satisfactory boarding place.”

But Conrad and his mother left the house the next morning. They saw
that Mrs. Hamilton was no longer to be deceived, and they could gain
nothing by staying. There was an angry scene between the mother and
son.

“Were you mad, Conrad,” said his mother, “to steal, where you were sure
to be found out? It is your folly that has turned Cousin Hamilton
against us?”

“No; it is that boy. I’d like to wring his neck!”

“I hope he will come to some bad end,” said Mrs. Hill malignantly.
“If he had not come to the house none of this would have happened.”

Meanwhile Ben and his patroness had a satisfactory conversation.

“I hope you are satisfied with my management, Mrs. Hamilton?” said our
hero.

“You have done wonderfully, Ben. Through you I am the richer by
thirty-five thousand dollars at the very least, for the farm would
have been dear at five thousand, whereas it was sold for forty
thousand.”

“I am very glad you are satisfied.”

“You shall have reason to be glad. I intend to pay you a commission
for selling the place.”

“Thank you,” said Ben joyfully.

He thought it possible Mrs. Hamilton might give him fifty dollars, and
this would have been very welcome.

“Under the circumstances, I shall allow you an extra commission–say
10 per cent. How much will 10 per cent. amount to on forty
thousand dollars?”

“Four thousand,” answered Ben mechanically.

“Consider yourself worth fourth thousand dollars, then.”

“But this is too much, Mrs. Hamilton,” said Ben, scarcely crediting
his good fortune.

“Then give half of it to your mother,” said Mrs. Hamilton, smiling.

“Now we can pay off the mortgage!” exclaimed Ben, joyfully.

“What mortgage?”

Ben told the story, and it aroused the lively sympathy of his
patroness.

“As soon as the purchase money is paid,” she said, “you shall have you
commission, and sooner if it is needed.”